Redcar’s CPI leads on £56m medicines innovation development in Scotland

The North East’s Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is leading the development of a new £56m medicines innovation site in Scotland.

The facility, to be located in Renfrewshire, will be led by Redcar-based CPI in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) and pharma giants AstraZeneca and GSK.

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) will use a collaborative culture and state-of-the-art facilities to strengthen the UK’s position as a technology and innovation leader in small molecule pharmaceutical and fine chemical manufacturing.

It will also enable businesses, academia, healthcare providers and regulators to team up as they address challenges facing the medicines supply chain.

Work on the facility and related infrastructure will take place over three years, starting this summer.

The centre could create up to 80 skilled jobs by 2023 and attract £80.5m of R&D investment by 2028.

A further 90 jobs will be created or retained in the design and construction phase, and even more indirectly by startups and SMEs that grow using technologies developed at the MMIC.

CPI chief exec Nigel Perry said: “The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre will enhance the UK’s existing competitive advantage by deepening the skills base and strengthening the rationale for companies to invest in new, highly productive medicines manufacturing.

“CPI is delighted to be working alongside the University of Strathclyde, Innovate UK, Scottish Government and our industry partners to deliver this globally unique centre that will prepare the pharmaceutical supply chain for vital, next generation medicines and further extend CPI’s healthcare capabilities.”